Funnel.



I. P. OLDS.

Patented Nov. 17. 1914.

c u M w m m w w n m m m a C s R E r P m R 0 N E H UFFICE.

IRA P. OLDS, OF SANTA ROSA, FLORIDA.

FUNNEL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IRA P. OLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Rosa, in the county of WValton and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Funnels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in funnels and has for its primary object to provide a funnel which may be employed for filling bottles or the like and which will be provided with means for closing the lower end of the funnel automatically as the bottle is filled and also provided with means for retaining the closure member in position in the lower end of the funnel until released by the operator to again allow the contents of the funnel to escape from the lower end thereof.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which will be of extremely simple construction and operation as well as highly efficient and effective in use, and which will be composed of the minimum number of parts.

A. further object is to generally improve and simplify the construction of devices of this character and increase the efliciency thereof, without materially increasing the cost of the same.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the ac companying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through my improved device in use; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail crosssectional view through the tube and wire slidably mounted therein; and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the tube, showing the notches in one longitudinal edge of the slot therein and the handle at the upper end of the wire engaged with one of said notches.

Referring more specifically to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 designates the body of the funnel, and 2 the depending reduced tapering portion, while 3 indicates the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov, 1'7, 1914,

Application filed February 14, 1914. Serial No. 818,762.

handle secured to the body portion of the funnel.

Across the upper end of the funnel, I have provided an upper transverse supporting bar t while a similar bar 5 is positioned across the lower end of the body of the funnel. Projecting through the supporting bars t and 5, is a stationary tube 6.

Within the tube 6 is a wire 7 to the lower end of which is secured the closure member 8 formed of cork or other suitable material and adapted for engagement in the lower end of the (.lepending portion 2 of the funnel to close said lower end when the outwardly directed handle 9 secured to the upper end of the wire l is in its uppermost position and engaged in the uppermost of the notches 10 formed in one side of the longitudinal slot 11 in the upper end of the tube 6. long as the handle 9 is engaged with one of the notches 10, downward movement of the wire 7 and closure member 8 will be prevented. Thcrefore, it will be seen that when the closure member 8 is engaged in the lower end of the depending portion 2 of the funnel, and the handle 9 engaged with the upper-most notch 10, said closure member 8 will be securely held in position in the lower end of the depending portion 2 and prevent the contents of the funnel from escaping from the same. "When the depending portion 2 of the funnel is engaged in a bottle or other vessel for the purpose of filling said bottle by means of the funnel, the handle 9 is disengaged from the notches 10 and the closure member 8 thereby allowed to drop below the lower end of the depending portion 2 of said funnel and permit the contents of the funnel to escape from the lower end thereof to the vessel. When the proper amount of the contents of the funnel has passed into the vessel, the closure member 8 will be raised thereby, and forced into the lower end of the depending portion 2 of said funnel, thereby raising the wire 7 and presenting the handle 9 to the proper notch 10. It will be evident that should the handle 9 fail to catch on the notch, it is simply necessary to touch said handle slightly and thereby move the same into engagement with said notch to prevent disengagement of the closure member 8 from the lower end of the depending portion 2 of the funnel until the handle 9 is again disengaged from the notches 10.

From the foregoing, it will be clearly apparent that I have provided a funnel with an extremely simple and cheap form of means for controlling the escape of the con tents of said funnel from the lower end thereof and it will be evident that this form of device will be highly eflicient, as well as strong and durable in use, the stationary tube being engaged through two spaced transverse supporting bars at the opposite ends of the body ofthe funnel.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claimswithout departing from the spirit of my invention orsa'crificing any of the advantages of the same.

What is'claimed is 1. A device of the class described. comprising a funnel havinga depending spout, a stationary tube mounted within the funnel and projecting above the same, said tube having a longitudinal slot formed in the projecting portion thereof, a reciprocating rod engaged in said tube and projecting below the lower end thereof, a closure member mounted upon the lower end of ti e rod adapted to close the spout, the upper end of said rod being directed laterally for disposition through said slot, and means for engagement with the laterally directed portion of said rod to retain said rod in its raised position.

2. A device of the class described comprising a funnel having a depending spout, a stationary tube mounted within said funnel and projecting above the upper end thereof, said tube having a longitudinal slot formed in. its projecting portion, one wall of said slot having notches formed therein, a reciprocating rod disposed through said tube and. projecting from the lower end thereof, a closure member mounted upon the L lower end of said rod adapted to close said spout when the rod is moved to its uppermost position, and the upper end of said rod being disposed laterally through said slot to form a handle, the handle being adapted for engagement with one of the notches to maintain said rod in its uppermost position. In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

IRA P. OLDS. Witnesses:

vVILLIAM E. Cessna, Rioanno P. MoRnLLo.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D, C. 

